Chapter 91

We decided to carry out the treatment for the Princess in stages over the course of two weeks. If she changed too suddenly, people wouldn’t recognize her, after all.

During that time, I had to visit the palace every day. I was offered a proposal to stay in the palace to work, as they would provide me with a room, but I politely declined. I had military duties to attend to, and I didn’t want to be away from Lady Clara’s side for too long. I am a loyal dog, Kota. Woof, woof!

The treatment began with the creation of specialized clothing. I had them make garments that didn’t expose too much skin, revealing only the areas where I needed to perform the treatment. Since I couldn’t touch her chest or buttocks, I decided to have the handmaids apply the beauty serums and body creams. Truthfully, it would have been easier if I could just have her strip down and do it all myself, but that wasn’t an option. Beyond just wanting to be respectful to the Princess, I personally didn’t want to touch those parts of another woman—it felt like cheating on Lady Clara.

Because it took time for the clothing to be finished, I decided to start with her face first. The first day began with correcting the misalignment of her skull to create a smaller-looking face. My “God Fingers” were in top form today. Next, I performed my usual massage to refine her skin and remove the fat from her chin and cheeks. I didn’t remove it all at once; it was strictly a gradual process. Furthermore, after forcing her facial muscles to move with magic, I repeatedly healed them with recovery massages to build a beautiful visage. I planned to apply this to her full body as well. By doing this, I could burn fat and increase her metabolic rate, building a body that wouldn’t easily gain weight. The Princess had been living a semi-reclusive life, so she lacked the muscle mass typical of people in this world.

“Your pelvis is also quite misaligned. It’s causing your posture to worsen. Let’s correct that as well and train your back muscles. That way, you’ll be able to maintain a beautiful posture.”

“I understand.”

“Also, from today on, please make sure to have dinner with everyone.”

“Yes.”

I needed to show her off as she gradually changed, so she had to appear before others.

“Also, please go out more frequently. You should ask Sir Henken to take you into town.”

“Oh my, Henken as my escort? I would prefer a slightly younger, noble gentleman.”

The Princess seemed to have gotten quite used to me, and she had become much more talkative.

“It would be best if you could do some kind of exercise, too.”

“If that is the case, perhaps I shall learn the sword. If I become strong and manage to land a hit on the Chancellor, I think that would improve my mood.”

“That is a wonderful idea.”

The Princess laughed demurely. It wasn’t strange for a young woman of the upper class to learn the martial arts. It would help her move her body and serve as a good change of pace, too.

In the evening, when I measured the Princess’s weight, it was 57 kilograms—the same as it had been in the morning. However, she looked significantly more toned. That was likely due to the muscle she had gained. What’s important is the proportion, not the weight. For now, this was sufficient.

The next day, the specialized clothing was finished, so I began the skincare and proportion improvement process. It seemed she preferred a larger chest. I asked her about her ideal shape and size, and then adjusted the amount of pectoral muscle and fat to get closer to that. Because I did this by manipulating magic from her shoulders instead of touching her directly, it took quite a bit of time, but it seemed I managed to achieve success. From the look of things over her clothes, I felt like saying, “Good job, me!” It was a little disappointing that I couldn’t verify it myself even though I was the one who did it, but it was something I felt hesitant to look at. I truly hope her future husband is very grateful to me.

Regarding her abdomen, I felt it would be inappropriate to touch it directly, so I injected magic from her back to handle it. I struggled quite a bit to get rid of the cellulite, but over the course of ten days, I carefully crafted an ideal proportion with just the right amount of soft fat.

As for her face, we discussed how to proceed using image-editing software on my laptop, decided on the ideal shape, and little by little, we brought it closer to that goal. I worked on her puffy eyelids and made her eyes slightly larger. Her nose already had a slender, good shape, so there was no need to tamper with it.

As we spent time together, the Princess opened up to me significantly. Between treatments, we practiced the sword together, ate low-calorie Japanese-style sweets as an occasional reward, and she even helped me think of stories for Fiene on my laptop. Initially, she had left a very plain impression, but as the treatment progressed, she became much more active—perhaps because she had gained self-confidence. Lately, she has been actively inviting me to play. Though she remained quiet, the Princess was a person with a very kind heart.

Thus, the two weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and the final treatment was completed. Standing before me now was the Princess, who likely possessed the best proportions in the entire country.

“Your Highness, how is it?”

I had earned her trust completely, and she had given me permission to call her by her name.

“Thank you. Even I can hardly recognize myself. It is thanks to you, Shonai.”

The Chancellor seemed satisfied as well.

“You have done a fine job, Sir Shonai. With this, the marriage talks with Francea might go well. Even if they don’t, we can consider even better suitors.”

Personally, I would be more grateful if the Saint would just get engaged to the Prince of Francea and leave the country. As usual, Juliana keeps coming to town to meet me, pretending it’s a coincidence. Lately, she has even been specifically requesting the Clara Platoon to guard her soup kitchen events, which has been quite a nuisance. Since she is the daughter of a Count, I don’t have the right to refuse.

I was able to receive my payment in cash. As expected when dealing with the state, the payment was handled very smartly.

“Thank you very much. If I manage to acquire any more rare items, I will come by again to be an eyesore.”

I had finished my farewells and was about to leave the room when Princess Anneliese called out to me.

“Shonai, won’t you come live in the palace? I would feel at ease if you were nearby.”

I didn’t feel bad about being relied upon, but that was an impossible request.

“Princess. The only thing I can help you with is external beauty. I lack the wisdom or virtue to draw out the inner beauty of others. You have already attained physical beauty. From here on out, please dedicate yourself to polishing your inner self. That is why I believe you should keep someone by your side who can guide you in that direction. You possess the potential to shine even brighter than this. Your offer was truly flattering, however.”

“Shonai…”

I lightly pressed my lips to the back of the hand she had extended and exited the room.

As Anneliese watched Shonai leave, Chancellor Count Nurenberg spoke to her quietly.

“Your Highness, you are a princess. You must not forget your position.”

“I have not forgotten. I am seeing Shonai off quietly without even acting spoiled, am I not? …At the very least, I wish you would have remained silent during our final moments. You are truly a boorish man.”

Count Nurenberg bowed his head deeply. When it came to playing the villain, no one in Saxens could surpass the Chancellor. He observed the end of the Princess’s fleeting first love as if looking at something dazzling. The Anneliese standing beside him radiated a beauty completely transformed from two weeks ago. Even the sharp-witted Chancellor could not determine if this radiance was the result of Shonai’s treatment or the sudden change that visits a young girl in love.

I stepped out of the palace and stretched my arms wide. It had been a long two weeks. I hoped that my treatment would lead Princess Anneliese to happiness.

Still, I had made an unbelievable profit. The cost of raw materials was only about 200,000 yen, yet I had earned 300 million Marques. If I continue this work in the future, I will need a female assistant. Someone to apply body oil is absolutely essential, after all. I was saved this time because there were so many handmaids. To be honest, I would like to apply it myself, and it would be easier to perform the treatment if I touched her directly, but Lady Clara’s face always flashes through my mind. Since I learned through this experience that I can sufficiently alter proportions by sending magic from her shoulders and back, I think I’ll stick with this method from now on.

I walked through a darkened Dresden and glanced behind me. I was likely being followed again today. They were probably trying to track down my home under the Chancellor’s orders. Losing this tail and returning to my apartment has become part of my daily routine lately. I created a dummy at the corner of the main street and we walked off in different directions. I might have managed to lose the pursuers with this. At the very least, I think the number of people following me has been cut in half.

I wandered the city, repeating that kind of thing over and over. I didn’t use the city gates because I assumed they were being watched. Climbing over the city walls with “Gecko Hands” has become second nature, much like that night I ran into Juliana. It was also killing two birds with one stone, as I could practice “Sky Walk” at the same time. I had finally become able to perform a double-step in mid-air. In time, I hope to become capable of climbing over the walls using only “Sky Walk.”

It’s dangerous to keep climbing only the walls leading to the South District, where my apartment is located, so I change the location of the walls I scale every time. Today, I went through the West District. It’s a detour, but I’ve become quite familiar with the geography of Dresden. The West District seems to be where many craftsmen live. I see many blacksmiths, paper shops, and fabric stores. I’d like to come by during the daytime on my next day off.